Orval Dallas Schneider The Early Years-by Dallas Max Schneider

Orval Dallas Schneider-The Early Years
Excerpt from Remembrances of Orval Dallas Schneider, My Father

By His Son Dallas Max Schneider 

He was my father and l owe him reverence for that. I also honor him, not only for my life but the quality of life that he wanted for his children. Everything he did not have as a child and young adult was given to his children, as he labored mightily to provide.

Orval Dallas was born in a small town of southwest Missouri, called, West Plains, The date of his birth was May 24, 1902. His father, my grandfather was also born there. Grandfather, Frank William Schneider died when he was 38 years old and I never saw or knew him.

Orval Dallas grew up without the wisdom and guidance of his father. Orval Dallas was 9 years old when grandfather Schneider passed away leaving his wife (Hattie Barnett Schneider) with 5 small children to raise on a failing dry farm in Burley, Idaho.

The family had moved to Idaho because Frank William felt better physically, there in the dry, arid west. In Missouri, it was humid and hot in the summer and he had a hard time breathing that wet, heated, heavy air. He probably had tuberculosis but they called it consumption in those days.

My father had a scant memory of his childhood days but he told me that he started smoking cigars at age 7 because everyone else did. I asked him, "didn't your parents object?"

 "Yes they did but we all snuck around them and smoked in secret. All of the men smoked, except my dad. He did not smoke. We had plenty of bad examples around us."